On 13 May 2026, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar turned 70. Three days earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Bengaluru to mark the occasion in advance. At the Art of Living International Centre, Modi inaugurated the newly constructed meditation hall.
'Today is Gurudev's 70th birthday. When the centenary celebrations take place, I will come again to join them,' the Prime Minister said at the gathering of thousands. International Business Times was part of the event.
This gesture from the head of the world's most populous democracy was only the beginning of the celebration of the Indian spiritual leader recognised across 180 countries. The milestone arrived alongside another: the Art of Living Foundation, the global nonprofit he founded, marked 45 years of operations. This amalgamation brought together leaders both from within the country and internationally, union ministers, governors, members of Parliament, diplomats, entrepreneurs and thousands of international delegates. at the organization's sprawling international center in Bengaluru, India. India's richest billionaire Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries, visited the campus on 20 May with his son, Anant Ambani.
'The sign of a healthy society is to see a smile on every face. That is the goal we have been working toward for forty-five years,' Sri Sri said in a statement to IBTimes UK.
As the Indian guru marks the special occasion, here's a look at his life work.
A Breathing Technique That Became a Global Institution
In 1981, at the age of 25, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar entered a period of silence on the banks of the Bhadra River in Karnataka. He spent ten days in meditation and emerged with the Sudarshan Kriya—a rhythmic breathing technique using cycles of slow, medium and fast breath designed to reduce stress and improve mental clarity and overall well-being.
That single technique became the foundation of the Art of Living Foundation—today one of the largest volunteer-run nonprofits in the world. The foundation now operates in 182 countries, with programmes said to have touched over a billion lives. The 45th anniversary celebrations, running from 10 to 26 May 2026 at the Bengaluru campus, included the launch of year-long nationwide service initiatives focused on mental well-being, rural development, environmental conservation and social transformation.
Over 100 independent studies conducted on four continents and published in peer-reviewed journals have found that SKY significantly reduces stress, depression, anxiety, and PTSD while improving well-being, mental focus and emotion regulation. The foundation's SKY Schools Programme now operates across 254 schools in the United States, equipping nearly 200,000 students with practical tools to manage stress and emotional challenges.
The Guinness Records: Scale Made Visible
The Art of Living's organisational reach is demonstrated through its record of Guinness World Record certifications.
In September 2024, on the inaugural World Meditation Day, Sri Sri anchored a globally synchronised session from the United Nations headquarters and the World Trade Center in New York. The session drew 8.5 million participants across 180 countries simultaneously—setting an official Guinness World Record for the most viewers of a guided meditation live stream on YouTube.
In 2011, Art of Living organised a choir of 121,440 voices in Chennai—the world's largest choir on record. The year before, 104,637 participants gathered in Pune to sing India's national song, Vande Mataram, simultaneously—the largest sing-along on record. In 2008, 1,094 sitarists played in synchrony in New Delhi. In Ahmedabad, 5,612 unique vegetarian dishes were simultaneously presented — a record for the largest vegetarian buffet.
Sri Sri, along with his nonprofit, holds 12 Guinness World Records.
Harvard, Portland And A Peace Award
In November 2025, at a ceremony at Harvard University's Faculty Club, the Boston Global Forum presented Sri Sri Ravi Shankar with the 2025 World Leader for Peace and Security Award, recognising his contributions to global peace, ethical leadership and humanitarian service. The honour placed him alongside past recipients, including French President Emmanuel Macron, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
In October 2025, Portland declared 20 October 'Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Day,' with the Mayor of Portland and the Governor of Oregon issuing formal proclamations recognising his contributions to peace and wellbeing.
